Trying To Find
by EbonyOsmosis
Summary: [AU] His 21st birthday was supposed to be at least somewhat enjoyable. Instead, Sasuke finds himself moping around more than usual. But someone just might be able to help with that when his friends drag Sasuke to a bar called Six Paths. [AU - SasuNaru]
1. A Listening Ear

Trying To Find

Chapter 1: A Listening Ear

* * *

"Come on Sasuke, it'll be fun! You need to lighten up!" Sakura chided, stopping Sasuke once more from wandering back down the sidewalk. He sighed in annoyance as she steered him back towards the group.

"I don't _want _to lighten up," the dark haired boy remarked, arms crossed over his chest as he followed along after his friends.

"So you just want to stew in your own self pity?" Neji asked calmly, raising an eyebrow at the Uchiha.

"Yes, actually, I would like that," Sasuke replied in an even tone.

"Sasuke, I know you're still... upset," Sakura said carefully, moving closer to his side and wrapping her arms around one of his. "We don't expect you to get over it, not until you're ready. But you can still live and move forward. It's been three weeks, you need to get out of your apartment at least."

With a heavy sigh, Sasuke stopped his protesting and let Sakura lead him back to their pack. He knew she was just concerned for his happiness, and that was all he could really ask for in a friend. Even if it annoyed him for his friends to pester and coerce him into 'having fun,' it was nice to know someone cared about him. Not that he'd ever admit that out loud, especially in their presence. He'd never hear the end of it.

Once he had stopped his complaining, they ended up at the club a lot quicker than their previous pace. Sasuke stood before Six Paths with a skeptical look on his face, again rethinking his decision. Part of the reason why they wanted him to get out was he'd just turned 21 and they wanted him to experience the club scene. Sasuke was not one for drinking, even though he'd had numerous opportunities even before turning 21. Mostly they just wanted him to be social.

Regardless, he got in line with his friends and waited, knowing he would not get out of this until he'd at least had one drink. Sakura, Ino and Neji were standing in front of him, while Tenten and Sai stood behind him. They slowly moved forward as bouncers at the door admitted people one by one. Eventually when it came his turn, Sasuke handed over his ID and waited without concern as they checked it over. Once finished, he stood inside with the group as they waited for the last two of their party.

"Okay guys, table or bar?" Tenten asked as she came in with Sai.

"It looks like there's room, let's take the bar," Sakura suggested. "We're going to be dancing most of the time anyway."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in a futile effort to contain his reaction. Dancing? That had not been part of the plan. He fully intended to sit out, regardless of any threats, so he kept quiet for the moment and headed for the bar with his group. He ended up sitting between Sai and Sakura, looking at the drink menu with little interest. As the others rattled off their orders, Sasuke decided on something called the Nine Tails. He glanced at Sakura as she started talking to him about this particular club, not paying attention as the bartender set down a napkin and then his drink before moving on.

He immediately liked the look of it, regardless of how it might taste. It had a very bright and warm appearance. The bottom of the glass was lined with a dark red liquid, which was the cherry puree, followed by a layer of spotless orange juice, topped with vodka and garnished with an orange slice on the lip of the glass. Unlike most men, he was fully comfortable in his masculinity to order such a fruity drink in public, rather than a standard beer.

He took a careful sip after the drink had settled in, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "How is it?" Sakura asked next to him.

"It's good, I like it more than I thought I would," he replied, taking another sip.

He chatted here and there with his friends, and about twenty minutes in they got up to dance. Sasuke refused the offers to join, eventually left to his own devices at the bar as the others moved to the dance floor. He sighed, finally having a moment of peace despite the music pulsing in the background. He turned back to the bar, just finishing his first drink when everyone had already had two. Sasuke sighed again and played with the straw, scrambling the ice around as it melted into the residue from the drink.

"Why the long face? You finished the drink so it can't be my mixing skills."

Sasuke looked up, slightly annoyed that someone would interrupt his brooding. It was the bartender, whom he hadn't paid attention to before. He was fairly young looking, and he wondered if the kid was legally old enough to be serving drinks. He had a shock of warm blonde hair that seemed to stick up in all directions in a perpetually messy look. He had tanned skin, a far cry from Sasuke's pale complexion, and strange scars on each cheek that looked like whiskers. But the most attention-drawing features on the blonde were his bright eyes, which were the richest, deepest blue he'd ever seen. Were those contacts?

"So tell me, dark eyes, you don't seem the type to drink away your sorrows," the blonde said, his voice gravelly yet oddly soothing at the same time. The big grin on his face was inviting, and Sasuke got the impression that he lent a friendly ear to many a troubled bar patron.

Likewise, Sasuke found himself responding to that charm, grudgingly responding to the blonde. "My friends are trying to cheer me up. I don't drink much."

"Uh huh, and can I ask why they're trying so hard? They spent five minutes trying to get you on the dance floor," the bartender chuckled.

The dark haired boy pursed his lips, remaining silent. Eventually he tapped the glass. "Can I get one more of these?" he asked.

The blonde smiled, taking the glass of melted ice and bringing out a fresh one to make another cocktail. He obviously didn't take offense to the shunned question. "Glad you like my brain child, that always makes me happy."

"You came up with this?" Sasuke asked, watching in interest as the blonde poured fresh orange juice over the cherry puree.

"Yup. It's just a variation of a Tequila Sunrise. I didn't like grenadine too much, so I wanted to put something else in it. That and I swapped the tequila out for vodka. Puts a little spin on the classic," the bartender explained, pouring in three counts of vodka and putting the orange garnish on the glass. He set this on a new napkin in front of Sasuke. "I vouched the idea to my boss and he liked the drink, so he put it on the menu."

"Did you get a bonus for adding a new drink?" Sasuke asked casually, taking a sip of his second Nine Tails.

"Naw, I just like seeing my drink on the menu," the blonde said with a grin.

"Hey Naru, make me one of your special," a girl down the bar called.

"Yeah Temari, coming!" the blonde replied, making a third of what Sasuke was drinking. He expertly slid it down the bar counter, the older blonde girl catching it with ease and bringing it the rest of the way to another patron.

"So," the bartender began, giving Sasuke a curious look. "Is there a reason you look so down and your friends are trying to cheer you up? Or should I be minding my own business?" he asked carefully. A woman came to the bar a few seats down, and Naruto gave her a friendly smile. "Hold that thought," he told the dark haired boy, meeting the girl to take her order.

Sasuke glumly watched, his chin on his hand as he leaned on the counter, as the blonde mixed a drink out of tequila, lime juice, and cranberry juice, before garnishing with a lime and placing it neatly in front of the girl. The blonde then gravitated back towards Sasuke, not asking his question again but cleaning his drink station.

After a few moments of silence, Sasuke sighed and began to nibble on the orange slice. "I went through a messy break up recently," he said in a low voice, drawing those blue eyes to him once more.

"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?" the bartender asked.

Sasuke let out a puff of breath through his pursed lips, looking like a pouting child as he stared stubbornly at his drink. "She decided I was too 'stagnant' for her, that our relationship was boring and I was holding her back," Sasuke scoffed. "Her birthday present to me was to throw a huge fit and storm off in the middle of the grocery store."

"Dude, on your _birthday?"_ the blonde asked in shock. "That's seriously low!"

Sasuke found himself smirking, amused that the bartender was so offended on his behalf. "Yes, well, I suppose I should have seen it coming. She comes from a rich family, so she was spoiled as it was. When I didn't change to her expectations, she had it with me."

"That's bullshit," the blonde said angrily, pouting. "You can't change people, only people can change themselves. You either take someone as they are or not at all."

"Huh," the dark haired boy hummed curiously, smirking. "I didn't know bartenders were so insightful."

"Hey, haven't you heard?" the blonde replied with a grin, his demeanor changing once more. "That's our job."

"Naruto!"

"Whaaat?" the blonde whined back, looking down the bar where the girls were mixing drinks. Temari was glaring at him.

"Stop flirting and get back to work! We can't man the bar on rush hour one person down!" she growled.

"Alright!" he called back, waving her off before turning back to Sasuke, totally unfazed by the flirting comment. "Well then, it's been a great chat, but duty calls."

Sasuke nodded as the blonde, Naruto, moved down towards the middle of the counter to help out with the drink rush.

"Wow, he's cute."

Sasuke looked up in annoyance as Sai sidled up next to him, that sneaky smirk on his face as per usual. "I wonder if he's single, I'd hit that."

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes in anger, not appreciating the degrading comment towards the blonde. They weren't exactly friends, and they weren't even on a first name basis, but the bartender was a nice guy, and he didn't care for the sleazy way Sai looked at him. "Bug off," he growled. "Why are you pressed up next to me if you want into _his _pants?" he asked, leaning away from the pale boy.

"Why Sasuke, I'm hurt," Sai pouted, looking up at him with sleek eyebrows poised in an innocent expression. "I'm merely here to comfort you in your time of loneliness, you know, for support," he purred, leaning a little closer.

Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disgust, wondering how Sai could hop interests so quickly. "For the hundredth time, no," he growled.

"Aw, not like that dear Sasuke, I'm offering a platonic love!" Sai mocked with a smirk just as the rest of their group returned.

Sasuke just watched him with narrowed eyes, not noticing as his friends hailed Naruto back over. "Did we all have fun dancing? What can I get you guys?" he asked cheerfully, studiously ignoring the second pale boy hanging over Sasuke.

"What do you recommend?" Sakura asked breathlessly, dizzy and giggling from so much dancing.

The blonde seemed to enjoy her energy, smiling at her. "Well my dear, with your beautiful pink hair I think strawberry, and your green eyes make me think cucumber, so I will prepare for you a Dutch Tulip," he offered.

"That sounds good!" she agreed, watching in interest as he mixed the drink.

The blonde put two slices of cucumber and one whole, fresh strawberry into the glass, using a mortar to muddle the ingredients together, releasing the fresh smell of cucumber and the sweet smell of the berry. He then added ice and some flavored vodka, shaking them together vigorously in a mixing glass before pouring it all into a tall cup. He added a splash of soda water and garnished with another cucumber slice, placing it before Sakura on a napkin. "Tell me what you think," he invited.

The pink haired girl picked up the glass and took a sip, her eyes lighting up. "Oooh, this is delicious! It's so fresh tasting!"

Ino peeked around Neji with interest, who was enjoying a simple bottle of beer. "Ooh, I'll have one of those too."

"Coming right up!" Naruto replied, making another with the same professional flourish for the blonde girl and placing it down.

Sai watched him the whole time with interest, a hungry look in his eye as he leaned casually on one hand. The bartender walked over to Tenten, making her requested drink and looking at Sai. "And what can I get you?" he asked with a smile.

"Hmmm," the pale boy hummed sensually. "Sex on the beach sounds wonderful," he said, one eyebrow raised casually and a smirk on his face.

"Doesn't it just," Naruto teased back, making the requested drink and setting it down before Sai, who had yet to take his calculating stare off the blonde, even as he left to tend other customers down the bar.

"You are such a horn dog," Sasuke told him blandly, breaking Sai out of his spell and earning snickers from his friends.

* * *

Naruto hummed quietly as he made a cosmopolitan for the girl who had just approached the counter, setting the drink neatly on a napkin for her and cleaning up his workstation. He couldn't help but glance over at the group with that dark haired guy, unable to keep those eyes off his mind. A slight smile quirked Naruto's lips as he watched the other boy crack a smirk at something the pink haired girl said.

"Naruto."

The blonde turned around to see Temari approaching him. "Break time," she said simply. "Have you eaten today? Come on, I'll have Shika make you something."

"Yes mommy," he said with a smirk, following the older girl back into the kitchen where their cook was hard at work. Shikamaru was a culinary student making ends meet in the bar scene, and the only reason he wasn't in a higher end establishment was because the expectations were too 'troublesome.' Otherwise he was a great chef, and the people at the bar loved his food.

"Shika, can you make Naruto some chicken?" Temari asked, dragging the blonde back to their break table in the corner.

"Aw baby, you know just how to win me over," the blonde grinned, grabbing himself a glass of water then sitting down when prompted.

"Coming up," Shikamaru said lazily, taking out a piece of chicken breast and quickly coating it in a garlic-lime marinade before placing it on the grill.

"So Naru, who was that guy you were flirting with all night?" Temari asked, crossing one leg over the other and leaning on the table with a smirk.

"I wasn't flirting, he's just going through a rough time. He told me his ex freaked out and dumped him on his birthday because he was 'boring,'" Naruto relayed.

"What a bitch," Temari scowled, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "I can't believe some people."

"Yeah, can you believe the stories we get? I'm glad I don't know anyone like that," the blonde grinned.

"Oh ho, Naruto, you know a few," Shikamaru called with a smirk, walking over with the plate and setting it down.

"Thanks Shika," the blonde said, starting on his dinner and smiling at the first bite. "Delicious as usual!"

"I know," the lazy boy said, still smirking. He walked back to his station and plated a grilled Hawaiian burger. "Order up!" he called, handing the plate off to the waitress as she appeared in the window. In exchange, she dropped off three new orders.

The three continued to chat, even as Shikamaru worked and sent out orders, busy as usual as the two other cooks helped him prepare the dishes for their rush hour. Temari spent about ten minutes with them before heading back to the bar to take over for one of the other girls. Naruto finished up his chicken and set the plate in the dish washer, waving to Shikamaru and heading back out as well.

When he returned to his station next to Temari's, the dark haired boy was by himself once more. Naruto headed over, taking the empty glass from his second drink and wiping down the counter where it had set. "Hey you, you're all on your lonesome again," he commented with a bright grin. "Where'd your friends go?"

"Dance floor," he replied simply, earning a questioning look in the form of a critically raised eyebrow. "I don't dance," Sasuke clarified once more.

"Eh, dance floors are too crowded," Naruto said offhandedly, shrugging one shoulder. He figured this guy already had enough of people telling him to get out there and dance.

"Exactly," the dark haired boy replied. "I don't like strangers bumping me in a crowd of drunk dancing."

Naruto snickered, "I getcha. Everyone else seems to like it, though."

"Too bad I'm not everyone else," Sasuke remarked drolly, leaning his chin on one hand.

"I dunno," the bartender said in a sly voice, drawing his customer's curious gaze to those blue eyes and that interesting scarred face. "I kinda like that you're not everyone else," he teased, smiling as he walked away to take a drink order.

Sasuke was thankful for the departure, because he suddenly found his face heating up in a most uncomfortable manner, something he was definitely not used to. He didn't _blush_, ever. So what had this little comment done just now?

He didn't have time to ponder this, as his friends were returning once more from the dance floor. "Sasuke, you look bored, do you want to go?" Sakura asked.

"I'm fine," he said, thinking it would be a lie but finding he really didn't hate being here. Not like he'd thought. "Whenever you guys want to leave is fine."

They spent another hour at the club, dancing and drinking and just having a good time. Even Sasuke was lightening up some. So stewing in his own self-pity wouldn't have been as enjoyable as this, how was he to know? Maybe it was okay to listen to his pushy friends once in a while. He didn't even mind staying up this late, when he usually went to bed at about midnight. It was in fact 1 am when they finally got ready to leave for the next bar, and Sasuke could feel his eyes drooping. He really wasn't cut for the club scene if he was already tired. "You guys go ahead," he told his friends. "I'm going to use the bathroom then head home."

"Are you sure you don't want us to walk you home?" Ino offered, leaning an elbow on Neji as the others gathered up their things.

Sasuke smirked. "Thanks, but I'm a big boy. I'll see you guys later, thanks for dragging me out."

"No problem!" Sakura replied happily, hugging the dark haired boy before patting him on the head and following the others. "Night Sasuke! We'll hang later!"

Sasuke waved at them casually before heading off to find the restroom, his eyes aching slightly as he entered the brightly lit and white tiled room, a stark contrast from the dim lighting in the club. The music was partially shielded, dulling it to his ears and reminding him more how tired he was. Sasuke quickly did his business and washed his hands before heading out, passing the bar.

The blonde bartender was there, and Sasuke inexplicably paused when they made eye contact. Naruto smiled, the scars on his cheeks stretching. "Hey you, your friends left, you heading out?"

Sasuke nodded, hands in his pockets. "They have another stop to make. I'm not this much of a night owl so I'm going home."

"Ah, well have a good night," the blonde said, his friendly smile never wavering.

"Thanks," the dark haired boy replied, feeling something else on the tip of his tongue fighting to get out. But when he opened his mouth, nothing came out, and he experienced the second very unfamiliar thing that night, stuttering. He clamped his mouth shut before trying again. "I... uh, I was..."

The bartender seemed to take pity on him, his smile turning a little warmer and more personable. "Hey, if you ever want another Nine Tails, I'm here most nights of the week," he offered cheekily.

Sasuke blinked in surprise, finding himself nodding once in understanding. "I will... keep that in mind, thank you."

The blonde waved at him, smile never dulling, as Sasuke left. He walked out into the chill night air, feeling the cool breeze wake him up just enough for the walk home. Just like he'd promised, he was not at all concerned about walking alone at night. This was a reputable part of town, not exactly classy but there was rarely any violence or crime in this area.

This, of course, gave his mind free reign to wander back to a pair of cerulean blue eyes and a warm smile that weren't going to leave his head anytime soon.

* * *

Next chapter, a surprise meeting and Itachi makes an appearance.


	2. O Brother

Trying To Find

Chapter 2: O Brother

* * *

The next morning, Sasuke awoke at his normal time feeling a little groggy. It was nothing a shower and a coffee couldn't cure, but he was sure his friends were having a harder time. Sasuke had only had two drinks last night, and he knew for a fact everyone else had _at least _three before moving on to the next bar. He'd seen hangovers and he didn't care to experience one himself.

The Uchiha got up from his bed and stretched lazily, working the kinks out of his sleepy muscles before heading into the bathroom down the hall. He took a nice hot shower, indulging in a slightly longer soaking than usual, before getting out and dressing in a pair of dark jeans and a blue t-shirt. The boy headed lazily out into the kitchen and went into one of the cabinets, eyebrows furrowing as realization hit.

He cursed quietly, closing the cabinet. "I forgot to go grocery shopping."

As such, he had no coffee to brew. Tea was fine any other time, but he needed his coffee in the morning, damnit, he couldn't function without it. Sighing, he walked back to his bedroom to put on socks and a jacket, grabbing his phone, wallet and keys before heading to the door. Sasuke toed on his shoes and headed out the door, locking up behind him and trotting down the steps of his second story apartment.

He'd go grocery shopping later, for now he would just buy something at the coffee place. It was a short but pleasant walk, the brisk autumn air playing with his still damp hair but not chilling him too much. It was a Saturday but there weren't too many people out, which he was thankful for. Maybe they were all driving to their destinations. But he didn't mind a bit of cold, just stuck his hands in his pockets and walked on.

He bypassed a Starbucks in favor of a smaller coffee house down the street. Starbucks tasted fine, but his stomach didn't agree with all the syrups and sugars they used at the chain coffee places. He wasn't the only one that thought this way apparently, as the line was six people deep as usual with this place. They did have incredible coffee, so he was willing to wait.

The wait wasn't too bad anyway, the people were quick and efficient, taking orders and passing it down to the barista to be brewed. After a few minutes in line, he placed his order and stepped off to the side to wait, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket as he did so. Sasuke took out the device and looked at the caller id, seeing his brother's name on the screen. He tapped the 'accept' button and held the phone up to his ear. "Hey 'Tachi."

"_Morning Sasuke, just wanted to say hi. How are you doing?"_

"I'm fine, just waiting for a coffee," Sasuke replied. "How are things going at the university?"

"_Let's just say I currently live in the library,"_ Itachi joked.

Sasuke's older brother was two years into grad school for a PhD. He already had his bachelor and masters degree, and he would be at this one for several more years. He spent a lot of time doing his own research to contribute to the field, and he was constantly compiling papers. Eventually he would have to start on a dissertation that would probably be a few hundred pages in length.

"Keeping busy then," Sasuke hummed, smirking.

_"Little brother, if only you knew. I've been trying to find time to visit, but there's just so much to do,"_ Itachi said, sound a bit guilty.

"Tachi, I can visit you, if you haven't noticed. I'll head up there on my next long weekend, I think I have one coming up in a month or two. I'll check when I get home and let you know," he said, pausing and tuning out his brother when his name was called. When he looked at the pick up counter, he blinked in surprise at a shock of familiar blonde hair. "Uh, Itachi, I'll have to call you back later, okay?"

Itachi hummed curiously, the sound coming out more concerned than he probably meant. _"Is everything okay, Sasuke?"_

"Fine, my coffee is up and I have to go grocery shopping. I'll call you back with when I can head there."

_"Okay then, I'll talk to you soon."_

Sasuke said a final farewell to his brother before slipping the phone into his pocket, walking up to the pick up counter where his drink, and a familiar looking barista waited. He met the blonde's gaze, and there was no mistaking those bright blue eyes even from the dim lighting of the bar last night.

"I thought you looked familiar," the blonde smirked, handing Sasuke his coffee. "No Nine Tails here, though. Sorry."

Sasuke found himself returning the gesture. "I thought you were a bartender?" he asked curiously, as if pointing out a dirty little secret.

"I am!" Naruto replied. "Here's my bar," he said, gesturing to the pick up counter and the brewing counter behind the glass. "I'm tending it! It's called two jobs, I'm just so versatile."

"Yes you are," the dark haired boy replied. "Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. And you're sure the CEO of Google hasn't grabbed you up yet?" he teased.

"Smartass, I like it," the blonde shot back, grinning. Then for a moment he paused in thought, seemingly pondering something over before he ventured it out loud. "Hey, you wanna have a coffee with me?" he asked.

Sasuke blinked in surprise, staring at the blonde for a long moment as he tried to figure out how to interpret the invitation. "Sure," he finally replied, his mouth working faster than his brain.

"Cool," the blonde said with a happy grin, turning to someone behind the counter. "Hey Suzy, the rush is down so I'm taking my break. Can you make me my usual?"

"Sure!" the girl at the counter called back, writing something on a cup and passing it to the other barista. Naruto then shucked his apron off and headed around the counter to pay.

"One sec," he told Sasuke, fishing out his wallet and handing over a couple bills for the drink. By the time he was finished paying, his coffee was ready for pick-up. "Thanks!" he called, walking back over to Sasuke and heading to one of the tables. Once they sat down, the blonde gave him a cheeky smile. "So, I've heard your name from your friends and seen it on a coffee cup, but we haven't been formally introduced," he said. "I'm Naruto. And you are?"

The dark haired boy chuckled. "Sasuke, nice to finally meet you."

"So," Naruto started. "You're up pretty early after your late night."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What about you? How late did you work at the bar?"

"Until three," the blonde replied.

"And what time did you start here?"

"Eight sharp!"

"Which left how much sleep?"

"Bout four hours!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed strangely. "How can you be so energetic on four hours of sleep?"

The blonde shrugged, that big smile still on his face. "I dunno, I'm just full of it!"

"Full of something," the dark haired boy remarked with a smirk.

Instead of a snappy come back or a sarcastic 'ha ha', Naruto abruptly started laughing. Within moments of hearing this Sasuke decided that he very much liked the blonde's laugh. It was, dare he say it, cute. Besides that fact, the happiness was just plain contagious, causing a slight smile to quirk Sasuke's lips.

"You should smile more often," Naruto commented, suddenly bringing Sasuke out of his thoughts as the tables were turned. He blushed slightly at the comment, causing the blonde's smile to widen.

Trying to regain his composure, Sasuke replied. "Well, if it's for you..." he shot back, smirking to hide his misstep.

Naruto chuckled softly, leaning his chin on his hand and taking a sip of coffee. This made the Uchiha suddenly remember his own forgotten drink, which had cooled considerably while he'd been admittedly engrossed with the blonde. He took a sip to think of something to say, because he seemed to have a habit of blanking out around Naruto. "So, when you're not tending bars, what do you do?" he asked.

"Nothing special," Naruto replied, fiddling absently with his coffee cup. "When I'm not working I try to spend time with my friends. I'm definitely a people person," he explained. "What about you, Sasuke?"

"I'm going to school full time at the moment, and I work part time at a bookstore."

"Really? What are you studying?" the blonde asked in interest.

"I'm in my second year majoring in English with a minor in American Lit."

"Wow, are you going to teach, then?"

Sasuke paused, thinking to himself. He'd never really thought about it since no one had asked him. Everyone just assumed that since Itachi was going to teach, he would as well. But really, what else would he do with an English degree? He kind of liked the idea anyway, reading and acquiring all that knowledge and then passing it along. Sasuke loved to learn and discover new things, he always had his nose in a book.

"Yes, I suppose I will be teaching," he answered after some thought.

"That's cool," Naruto grinned. "I'm not really the college type, not smart enough. Well I mean, I can learn, sure, but I'm bad at putting it down on tests and in papers," he clarified, shrugging.

"Ah," Sasuke replied, knowing exactly what he meant. He'd had classmates drop out because they couldn't apply the knowledge they retained, or they were bad test takers. "It's not for everyone."

Naruto nodded with a smile, before checking his watched and pouting. "My break will be over in a minute."

The dark haired boy felt an inexplicable disappointment to hear this. He usually didn't like chatting with people like this, but Naruto was so easy to talk to. Just as he was deciding whether or not to suggest they meet again sometime, the blonde spoke.

"Okay, before I ask my next question, let me ask you this one. Out of uh, curiosity. That pale guy with the dark hair, at the bar, are you two...?" he trailed off casually, his voice implying the universal 'you know' for dating.

Sasuke frowned, wrinkling his nose at the thought. "Who, Sai? Not on your life. He's just incredibly horny and will try to seduce anything with a pulse."

Naruto abruptly burst out laughing from Sasuke's description, causing the dark haired boy to smile. The blonde took a few moments to stifle his giggles, looking back up at Sasuke with a pleased look. "I was almost certain at first that you two were an item, until he looked me up and down and asked for a Sex on the Beach," he snickered.

"No, that's just Sai," Sasuke said, shaking his head.

"Okay, here's my next question. Would it be totally out of line to ask for your number?"

By this time, the Uchiha had come to terms that he had at least some mild attraction to the barista who moonlighted as a bartender. He admitted to himself that he'd never dated another guy before, but he'd certainly never felt this way about another guy to try a relationship. Whenever he'd gotten this sensation with a girl, it meant there was something there. The only difference was this something was male, an admittedly very handsome one at that.

Also, where he was uncertain before, it was now obvious that Naruto returned that attraction. Well it was a good thing the blonde had said something, as Sasuke realized that he probably wouldn't have known how to phrase the request and would have butchered it. Naruto made everything seem so simple and straight forward.

Finally, he answered. "No, I think you're well within your rights."

The blonde's face lit up like the sun as he reached into his pocket to grab his phone. "Cool! It's not a fake number, is it? If you say 867-5309 I'll punch you here and now," Naruto warned with a grin.

For a brief second Sasuke had absolutely no idea what the blonde was talking about, when finally his stuttering brain caught up and he remembered some song from the 80's that repeated that phone number in the chorus. He smirked, shaking his head. "No, it's not a fake number," he assured, rattling off his cell number to the blonde as he entered it into the phone.

Naruto happily put away his phone once the new contact was added, that stupid contagious smile of his affecting Sasuke once more and wrangling a tiny quirk of the lips from him. They both stood from the table since the blonde's break was over, taking a moment to say goodbyes. "Well, I have to get back to work, but it's been cool," Naruto said happily. "I'm working both jobs for a couple days straight, but maybe we can hang out later on this week?" he asked in a hopeful voice.

"Sure, call me whenever it suits you," Sasuke replied with a nod. "I'm usually out of class by 5 at the latest, and only on my busier days."

"Cool, I'll bug you anytime after 5 then!" Naruto grinned, walking with Sasuke until they had to part ways, one for the door and one for the counter. "Bye Sasuke! Talk to ya later!" the blonde called, waving at him.

Sasuke nodded and sent a casual wave back, turning to leave and catching the faint sound of one of the barista's accosting Naruto as he returned to work.

"Ooooh, Naruto he's so cuuute! Good catch!"

"Be quiet Suzy!" the blonde hushed frantically.

The Uchiha smirked to himself as he left the coffee shop.

* * *

He was halfway into his reading for American lit that night when his cell phone rang. Sasuke hastily fumbled the phone off his coffee table, not sure what he was expecting but huffing when he saw Itachi's name on the caller id. He accepted the call and put it on speaker so he could continue working on his homework. "Hey, what's up?" he asked.

"_What's up?" _Itachi repeated, sounding skeptical. "_What's up with you? You said you were going to call me back, that was ten o'clock this morning!"_

Sasuke blinked in surprise, suddenly realizing he'd completely forgotten about the conversation. He was supposed to have checked his class schedule and called his brother back hours ago. He blushed at the realization, looking chastised. "Sorry, I uh, got distracted and forgot."

_"Distracted? You? What are you sick or something?"_

"No," Sasuke defended, his blush deepening when Itachi called him out for spacing. "I just had something on my mind."

_"And what was so 'distracting' that you couldn't call your dear older brother back like you promised?" _Itachi mock demanded.

"Nothing!" the younger brother replied a little too quickly.

_"Nothing now? So you just decided not to call me back? Just let me guess at when you were visiting?"_

"Will you stop twisting my words?" Sasuke growled. "There was just someone-"

"_Some_one?" Itachi gasped playfully, the scandalous joy audible in his voice. "_Baby brother, do you have a date? Is that what has you so distracted? Please tell me you didn't get back with Karin!"_

"No, it's not Karin!"

"_So you _do _have a date!"_

"No! I just- Ugghh, Itachi, you are infuriating, you know that?" Sasuke huffed, his face beet red under his brother's nosy assault into his personal life.

_"That's my job, baby Sasuke, I'm your big brother, I'm supposed to infuriate you. So, is she nice? Anything would be a step up from Karin."_

"Um," Sasuke hesitated, suddenly losing steam. He'd never known Itachi to be homophobic in any way or oppose the idea. He was pretty sure his brother's friend Deidara was gay. But would the tables turn completely if Sasuke was the one in question? He sighed, chastising himself. If anyone would be okay with him no matter what, it was his brother. Itachi had supported him completely as long as he could remember.

"Actually, 'Tachi, this person is a 'he,'" Sasuke said carefully.

"_Oh, well then, is he nice? It's not your friend Sai, is it? Because I don't care for him too much, the kid is kind of off, if you know what I mean."_

Sasuke sighed in relief, a hesitant smile on his face as his brother continued on without missing a beat. What had he been worried about? "No, it's not Sai. I'm smarter than to get involved with him. His name is Naruto, and yes, he's very nice."

"_So what's this boy like, besides being nice?"_

Sasuke paused, wondering how to describe the blonde when he'd only known him for less than 24 hours. But really, Naruto was an open book, so he just told Itachi what he'd seen so far. "Well, he's like a ray of fucking sunshine. Literally. Blonde hair, blue eyes, can't stop smiling, endless energy despite working two jobs, always happy..."

"_So he's basically opposite of anyone you've ever dated before."_

"Hey!" the younger brother immediately protested, pausing when he heard Itachi snickering. This gave him time to think before he chewed out Itachi over the comment, bringing a sour look to his face. He sighed and leaned back into the couch, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "Okay, you're right," he admitted. "So I haven't picked the best people in the past, so what?"

"_So what's done is done," _Itachi stated matter-of-factly. "_My point now is maybe this time things will be different. You usually pick people like you, which is _way _too much dark and brooding. His ray of sunshine will balance out with your storm cloud," _he teased, chuckling at the indignant sound Sasuke made.

"Since when did you become a relationship counselor?" he asked gruffly.

"_Since you were in diapers,"_ Itachi shot back with an audible smirk. "_I remember when you were four, there was the little boy next door that had a crush on you. I scared him away, don't you remember?"_

The younger brother frowned in thought, actually taking the question seriously and stretching his mind back as far as he could. He tried to remember the neighbors, any children that lived close to them. He hadn't really played with the other kids, so surely he would've remembered if anyone paid special mind to him. He was about to call Itachi crazy, when a faint and fuzzy memory came to him. No, his brother was right. He remembered a boy who lived to the left of them, who would always ask him to play and would follow him around. He couldn't recall any physical details, just the vague form of another child wanting to be his friend.

Then the imposing figure of a nine year old Itachi looming over the two, scaring off the kid whether he'd intended to or not. Being nine years old his brother had been a little more of a jerk back then, as older brothers were supposed to be, but still had Sasuke's interests at heart.

"You didn't scare him off," Sasuke said in a sudden realization. "You scared him only as a joke, and when you tried to apologize he hid behind his mom!"

Itachi snickered softly. _"Hey, it's not my fault the kid was squeamish. He was your first friend, I tried to get him to stick around, you know."_

"Whatever," Sasuke replied, rolling his eyes. _Brothers_, he thought wearily. "So you were my personal counselor then. What were we even talking about before to bring this up?"

_"I was counseling you."_

The younger brother sighed and slapped a hand over his eyes. This was his brother the university student. This was his only immediate family left. "Tachi, sometimes..."

_"You wonder how I got so amazing?"_

"Oh, I wonder about you alright," Sasuke immediately rebuked, smirking. "Everyday of my life."

_"And I'm so pleased with that because I know you'll never really get rid of me,"_ the older brother said, hearing Sasuke start to fume indignantly. "_And yes before you ask, I do always have to one-up you. It's my job."_

"What did you even call about?" Sasuke asked glumly, his homework forgotten as his elder brother tortured him ruthlessly once more. He just couldn't win, he would never best Itachi.

_"Okay, I'll remind you again. You were supposed to tell me when you're coming to visit."_

"Well now I'm not coming," Sasuke shot back with an annoyed look on his face, pulling over one of his binders to look at his class schedule. "Hold on, I'm checking ahead," he muttered, flipping pages to look at what days he had off for which class, and if any of them would also correspond with work. But he could easily get a day or two off from the bookstore, it was his classes that he had to work around.

"Ah, here. I'll have three days free starting the 21st of September. How does that sound?" Sasuke asked, flipping the binder shut and setting it off to the side.

_"I shouldn't have anything more than usual going on. And if you're still with your boy at the time, feel free to bring him too. I'll be interested to meet him anyway, if he lasts longer than any of your girlfriends," _Itachi remarked, not maliciously but just out of curiosity.

Sasuke refrained from snapping as he felt his face heat up a little. Never out loud, but he would readily admit that his previous relationships hadn't lasted very long at all. The longest he'd been with a girl was about a year, which he admitted was fairly long at the time considering he was a teenager, but it was nothing major. A year was nothing in the adult world, and his adult relationships had gotten shorter as time went.

Maybe his problem was the way he started relationships. He tended to attract a lot of girls who were interested in his 'dark and brooding' nature or wanted to 'melt his icy heart.' Once in a while he would allow one of them to hang out with him and he would slowly grow a sort of 'attachment' to them, or at least a feeling of continuity from their presence. He actually liked this boy from the start, so maybe Itachi was right.

"Alright then," he said to his brother. "If it lasts that long I'll see if he wants to come."

_"Perfect. I'll see you in two months, Sasuke."_

* * *

I really wanted to take this chapter to establish the dynamic between Sasuke and Itachi. I'd imagine under normal circumstances they would be a lot like this, always trying to one-up each other and Itachi always winning because that's what older brothers _do._


	3. Some Privacy

Trying To Find

Chapter 3: Some Privacy

After his one day off of the week, Sasuke returned to classes the next day caught up on all his work. He didn't squander those rare moments of peace and quiet. Sure, he would hang out with his friends or go out, but he made sure he was at a reasonable spot in his work to take a break before doing anything else. As long as he got the majority of it done before hand, he would allow himself a little relaxation. But then it was right back to work. Like yesterday after coffee with Naruto and some grocery shopping, he dove back into his reading.

That was what kept him up in his classes, otherwise he would fall behind. The professors usually didn't summarize the contents of the assigned reading, but would plow forward onto the next topic. This could leave one extremely lost if they hadn't completed the previous material, so Sasuke knew better than to skip anything, or even skim one lousy paragraph. The temptation of slacking off just wasn't worth the trouble falling behind could cause.

That and he was just a know-it-all, or so his friends claimed.

It was because he stayed on top of things like this that the week passed so quickly. He went through all of his classes, turning in three completed research papers before being assigned two more new ones, not to mention studying for an exam that would be coming up in two weeks. But he took it all in stride and added these new due dates to his schedule binder, already working on the outline for the first of the two new papers and marking in his books the new reading assignments.

It was really a rather dull week until his cell phone rang one day as he sat reading on the small balcony attached to his apartment. He pulled the device over from where it was buzzing on the tiny patio table and held it up to his ear without checking the screen, too busy organizing his thoughts and highlighting a section of the reading to refer back to later. "Hello?" he greeted blandly.

_"Hey, Sasuke?"_

The dark haired boy paused and sat up a little straighter, almost having forgotten to expect the call. "Naruto?" he asked, recognizing that voice.

_"Hey you,"_ the blonde said, this seemingly being his permanent greeting for Sasuke. _"So this is your real number. You busy?"_

"No," he replied, marking the page in his book and closing it. "I was just doing some reading."

"_I'm not interrupting? Throwing off your groove? Stealing your mojo?"_

Sasuke wondered how many of these were movie references, since normal people couldn't possibly talk like this in everyday conversation. Or maybe this was just Naruto and he should go with it. It would probably do more harm than good to question these expressions, lest the blonde actually decide to explain them to him. "No, you're not," he replied with a lazy smirk. "What did you have in mind?"

"_Dunno, late lunch maybe? I just got off work so I'm starving."_

"Well then, I wouldn't want you to starve," Sasuke said in mock concern, earning a snicker from Naruto. "Where did you want to go?" he asked, holding the phone with his shoulder as he started piling up his books and binders to bring them inside.

_"Anywhere within walking distance is fine with me."_

"What, no car?" Sasuke asked curiously as he brought the stack inside, shutting and locking the patio door behind him.

_"I'm dirt ass poor, course I don't have a car."_

"Well last I checked jobs usually pay in money. What do yours pay in, peanuts?" he asked sarcastically.

"_Fucking well close," _the blonde joked, the grin audible in his voice. "_When did this become about my bank account? Just tell me where you want to go, geez."_

"Fine then. How about Akatsuki?" Sasuke asked.

_"Negative," _ Naruto said immediately, sounding rather matter-of-fact. _"They don't like me much there. Take another pick."_

The dark haired boy found his eyebrow raising in curiosity, deciding not to breach the topic. Maybe it was something for another day, or maybe even something for _never_. "Oookay," he just replied in that 'I-think-you're-crazy' voice. "How about that place downtown? I can't remember the name of it, it's just down the street from the coffee place."

"_Yeah, you mean Inuzuka's? I'm up for that!"_

"Good, if you're ready now I can get there in ten minutes," Sasuke offered. He figured the blonde wouldn't have called if he wanted to rest up after work.

_"Sure, I'm actually still outside work, so I'll just walk down there and see you then, yeah?"_

"Alright, I'll be there in ten," he replied, saying goodbye and putting away his cell phone. He wandered back to his bedroom and took a look at himself in the mirror, deeming his appearance fine for a casual lunch. He briefly combed fingers through his hair to smooth it out a bit before heading back out. He grabbed up his wallet and keys and slipped into a pair of shoes. It was warm enough to forgo a jacket, instead throwing on a light sweater and heading out.

Sasuke trotted down the stairs in front of his apartment and decided to walk there, seeing as he was pretty close to downtown. He preferred to save car trips for the 30 minute drive to his college campus, since gas was so expensive. Hands in his pockets, he turned left and headed down the street towards Inuzuka's. He was glad they'd chosen this instead of Akatsuki. It had a friendlier atmosphere, and while it wasn't exactly fancy, the food was good and well made. It was a popular place to hang out and grab a bite, so he'd probably see some people he knew.

When he arrived at the restaurant, he could see from a distance the shock of blonde hair that he'd come to associate with Naruto. The blonde turned to him as he approached, a smile lighting his face that reached all the way to his bright blue eyes. "Hey Sasuke," he greeted as the other boy approached.

"Hello Naruto," Sasuke replied, feeling pleased to see that smile. Usually he didn't like overly cheery people, but something about Naruto just clicked with him. He had that same something that allowed him to be friends with Sakura without biting her head off. Naruto reminded him a lot of the pink haired girl in that way, they both had that strange type of charm and cheer that reeled him in where he'd normally sneer.

The two headed inside to the restaurant, waiting briefly until a server headed over and seated them at a booth. She set down menus for them, chatting happily about their specials before offering to get them drinks.

"Just a water," Sasuke said, flipping his menu open.

"Raspberry iced tea please," Naruto asked sweetly.

"Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks," the waitress said with a big smile, leaving their table for the moment.

"Sweet tooth?" Sasuke asked slyly, eyeing the boy across from him.

"Kinda," Naruto grinned. "Mostly I like tea, hot or cold."

"I prefer hot tea, personally," the Uchiha replied, glancing over the menu as he decided what to eat. "Iced teas are usually too sweet for my taste."

"Narutoooo!"

The blonde paused as he was about to reply, his face falling into a peeved look as he recognized the howling voice. He groaned and aimed an apologetic look at Sasuke in advance, implying with his eyes that this was _not _his idea. He turned and aimed a glare at the approaching boy. "Kiba," he growled.

A boy with short spiky hair headed over to the table, unceremoniously flopping down into the booth on Naruto's side and sidling up to him. "Hey Naruto, who's your friend? Oh wait I know you! You're the Uchiha kid! My older sister went to school with your bro!"

"You're Inuzuka's brother? Wait..." Sasuke trailed off, pausing as he made the connection between the name of the family and the name of the restaurant they were in. A look of understanding dawned on his face, something he surprisingly hadn't noticed before.

"Ahhh, sharp one you've got here, Naruto," Kiba grinned, elbowing the blonde and earning annoyed looks from the other two.

"Kiba," the blonde said in a low voice. "I'm kinda in the middle of something, can you get the fuck outta here?" he growled.

"Ooooh, are you two on a _date?_" the brunette asked excitedly, his grin turning vicious.

"And people call me stupid," Naruto groaned. "Where the hell is Hinata? Can't you go bug her?"

"She's working," Kiba pouted, plopping his chin in his hands and he rested his elbows on the table top. "So you two will have to do!"

Sasuke merely sat quietly with one eyebrow raised, and a moment later the waitress came back with their drinks. She smiled when she saw Kiba at the table, obviously familiar with him since his family owned the business. "Are we ready to order gentleman?" she asked happily.

Ignoring Kiba for the moment, Naruto took a random stab since he didn't want to keep the waitress standing around when she obviously had other tables to take care of. "Can I get a hamburger, medium, with fries please."

"Burger, medium, fries," she recited, writing it down on her notepad before turning to Sasuke. "And for you?" she asked.

"Club sandwich please, with fries."

"Club with fries," she said, glancing at Kiba next.

"Barbeque sandwich with fries! And can you bring me a coke too, Suzy?"

"Of course!" the waitress replied. "I will be back soon gentleman!"

Naruto glared at the brunette. "Who said you were joining us?" he growled.

"No one said, he just invites himself," came another voice.

"Gaara," the blonde said, a mix of happiness and further irritation, since everyone seemed intent on crashing their first real date. He loved Gaara, really, but now was so not the time. The red head sat down next to Sasuke, nodding at the other boy with a calm look.

"Sasuke."

"Great! Everyone knows each other! It's a party!" Naruto said sarcastically, throwing his hands up in exasperation. He turned a frustrated look to Sasuke, who seemed more amused at his annoyance then anything. The blonde's look turned apologetic and pleading, the expression silently beseeching 'please don't leave, I can't help these people,' to which Sasuke gave a brief nod and a smirk.

Naruto finally smiled and gave up, turning to Gaara. "Well, you might as well order lunch, Kiba's already staying."

"Don't worry buddy, I'll pay for me and mister quiet so we don't ruin your big date!" Kiba insisted happily.

"Like you haven't done that already," Gaara told him calmly, inciting the brunette to growl back.

"What about you?" he demanded indignantly.

"This date sunk the moment you got here, I can't do anymore damage than you have so I'm just here to watch the flames," Gaara replied.

"And here I was thinking you were a good friend, my mistake," Naruto said in a regretful voice.

The redhead just smirked easily, arms folded over his chest in an uncaring look. "I'm a good friend, I'm taking the fourth seat. What if you-know-who came by and saw you here?"

The blonde's look turned sour, causing Sasuke to look between him and Gaara curiously. Everyone else but him seemed to know who this 'you-know-who' was, and it was obvious Naruto didn't want the mystery person around. "You're right," he replied to the redhead, his face still comically pained at the very idea. "I love you Gaara."

"Just doing my job as your best friend," he remarked casually in a voice that suggested it was a great personal sacrifice.

"Hey, I'm his best friend!" Kiba exclaimed, pursing his lips as he stared furiously at the redhead. "Right Naruto?" he demanded, turning to look at the suddenly nervous blonde.

Naruto warily held his hands up in a defensive posture. "Hey, I'm not in this."

Gaara snorted, rolling his eyes at Kiba at the childish tactic. "What are you, in grade school? Don't pressure him. Besides, he knows that _I'm _his best friend, so there's no point arguing over this."

Sasuke had done his best to remain quiet through this squabbling, but he could only keep his peace for so long. "I didn't realize you were so popular, people arguing over you and all," he remarked, smirking at the blonde.

"Hey, don't you encourage them," Naruto reprimanded.

Before he could reply, Suzy came back with Kiba's drink only to find one for customer at the table. "Well, you're little family just keeps growing, Naruto!" she laughed. "Can I get you anything, Gaara?"

"I'll have what he's having," the redhead replied, pointing a thumb towards Sasuke, surprising the other boys at the table. "And a water."

"A club with fries, I'll have that with the rest of your meals in a few more minutes," the waitress promised, grabbing an ice water for Gaara off of her tray and setting it down before departing.

Kiba looked confused, eyes narrowed at the redhead. "How did you know what he was getting?"

"I didn't," Gaara shrugged, looking unconcerned. "I could tell we had the same taste."

"Well aren't you just long lost brothers," Naruto teased.

Sasuke huffed in mock anger, folding his arms to mirror Gaara's pose. "Great, just what I need, another one."

The others snickered at the image they presented, both looking eternally sullen and brooding. The group continued to chat and more than occasionally bicker while their food cooked, discussing their jobs and college lives. When Kiba and Gaara found out that the two had met in the bar during one of Naruto's shifts, the brunette looked ecstatic. "_Please _tell me you tried his Nine Tails!"

"His 'brain child?'" Sasuke replied, using the term Naruto had chosen. "Of course, I liked it enough to have two."

The blonde looked pleased as this statement, while Kiba continued to gush over the drink. "He's the best bartender in that place, you know, and those guys are a good bunch of mixers. You know what they call him there among the staff? The Sage," he laughed, earning a skeptical look from Sasuke.

"The Sage of Six Paths, huh? I wasn't aware I had met such an important individual," the Uchiha said in his best 'I'm-so-impressed' voice.

"Better believe it," Kiba insisted around the blushing Naruto. He slung an arm around the blonde's shoulders and grinned. "Our boy here is a master. He doesn't even taste a fraction of the shit he makes and it comes out perfect."

"Well, you don't really have to taste it," Naruto rebuked. "It's more of a science, you just have to add the right amounts and it pretty much always turns out how it should."

"Yeah yeah," Kiba dismissed, pausing suddenly as he caught a whiff of something. "Food's here!" he said with a grin.

And just like that, Suzy appeared moments later, expertly balancing one plate on each arm as she held two more in her hands. She neatly bent her knees and ducked down, keeping her torso upright as she slid the first two plates down, and then grabbed the two from her arms without spilling a drop. "Here we are gentleman, enjoy!"

The boys thanked her as she left, unraveling their silverware from napkins and getting ready to eat. "Kiba, if anything I have to admit this, your family runs the best restaurant in town, hands down," Naruto said happily.

"Have to agree with him on that," Gaara added in, picking up a quarter of his perfect turkey club and taking a bite.

"Do you think you'll take over eventually?" Sasuke asked curiously, watching Naruto with amusement as the blonde smothered his burger in ketchup.

"Eh, I don't think so. I already work here bussin' tables, but it would take a long time for the folks to give it up to me or my sister. They love this place to death. Sides, I'm more of an animal person. I might go to school to be a vet or something."

"You should. Kankuro is studying to become a veterinarian, he loves it," Gaara said, earning an excited sound from Kiba.

"Really? I didn't know that!" he said delightedly.

"Who's this now?" Sasuke asked.

"My brother," the redhead replied. "Also my sister works in the bar with Naruto."

Sasuke looked surprised, one eyebrow raised in surprise. "Wow. We sure live in a small town."

"Eh, I kinda like it," Naruto pitched in, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "It's more cozy, more personal. Everybody knows your name."

"And they're always glad you came," Kiba added matter-of-factly.

The two abruptly burst out laughing in hysterics, causing Sasuke and Gaara to stare at them like they had gone crazy. Which they probably had, judging by the not at all funny joke, if it could be called a joke. Sasuke had a feeling it was another reference to something, but he ignored his curious need to ask. Because again, he had no doubt the blonde would explain and it was probably something he wouldn't wish to know.

Instead, he just shared a look with Gaara, shaking his head and causing the other boy to smirk while the two idiots continued to laugh.

"So, sorry my friends crashed," Naruto said later, hands in his pockets as they walked down the street from the restaurant. "I probably should have known, seeing as Kiba's _always _there."

Sasuke shrugged indifferently. He really didn't mind too much. In fact it had been kind of amusing to watch the dynamic between Naruto and his friends. It seemed like they bonded by constantly bickering. "It's alright, they didn't bother me."

"You and Gaara seemed to hit it off pretty well, at least," the blonde pointed out with a grin.

"Yeah, he's cool," Sasuke replied. "But anyway, maybe next time we can head somewhere out of town where none of our friends and classmates will bombard us."

Naruto's grin abruptly turned into an all out smile at the 'next time.' He was glad Kiba hadn't scared the Uchiha off with his rude crashing of their date. And true to his word, Sasuke genuinely seemed to be warming up to his friends. "Sounds good, if you're driving," he teased, bumping the other boy's arm with his elbow. "Unless you were planning on making me walk."

"But of course," Sasuke replied, smirking sideways at the blonde. "What kind of date would I be if I didn't whisk you away from the dangers of your nosy friend?"

"Eh, I'd probably still dig you," the blonde said with a shrug, laughing at the bizarre look Sasuke shot him. He smiled and glanced the other way, seeing that the sun was starting to sink and they would probably part soon. "Hey," he said suddenly, getting an idea. "Wanna go to the park for a little bit?"

Sasuke had that weird look on his face again, like possibly he was questioning his sanity, before shrugging. "Sure," he replied, altering their course to head towards the small park near the edge of town. It wasn't too far out, but there were less buildings and it presented a better view of the grassy hills that surrounded their area.

When the two arrived, Naruto immediately diverted and headed over to an old oak tree with a slightly bent trunk. He walked right up to the tree before looking up at one of the low hanging branches, jumping up and grabbing onto the rough bark. The blonde swung his lower half to gain momentum, and Sasuke watched as he easily pulled himself up onto the branch. Once he was settled, Naruto looked over at him and grinned wildly, waving him over. "Come on, Sasuke!"

The Uchiha approached. He wasn't sure what the point was, did Naruto actually expect him to get up there?

"C'mon, haven't you ever climbed a tree before?" the blonde prodded, kicking his feet happily as he waited.

Sasuke sighed and pouted, refraining from answering as he walked closer. His mother hadn't liked him trying to climb trees, she said it was dangerous and he was better off on the playground. But how hard could it be? You just grabbed on and climbed up, right? Right. He would show Naruto, he could so climb a tree, he could do it with his eyes closed. So he eyed the branch, trying not to look too much like he was figuring out how the hell to do this. Instead of thinking too much he just attempted to copy the blonde.

So he jumped, clearing the distance between his hands and the branch and grabbing on. Okay, now his feet were dangling 12 inches off the ground, what the hell was he supposed to do? He resisted the urge to futilely kick his feet, instead curling his torso and bringing his knees up. For what, he had no clue, and suddenly realized he probably looked like a fucking moron.

"Not like thaaat," Naruto chided, looking down at him with a grin. "Swing your lower body. The momentum will help you to pull up by your arms."

Sasuke studiously refrained from replying, but silently employed the advice. He let his legs uncurl before starting to swing a bit. On the arc of the swing, just enough of his body weight was suspended so that he could lift himself straight up, locking his elbows as his weight now rested over his hands on the branch. From there it was easy enough to edge himself into a sitting position next to Naruto.

"See? Easy! You're a fast learner!" the blonde enthused, smiling at him without a hint of sarcasm.

"Stop being so nice," Sasuke grunted. "Why the tree?"

"I dunno," Naruto shrugged. "I always come out here to think, or just to relax. I grew up climbing trees," he explained, setting his hands down on the branch on either side of him.

The Uchiha blushed slightly when their hands brushed, but he didn't pull away, watching the smile on Naruto's face grow. He admired the way the other boy's blue eyes shone in the setting sun, casting a golden glow on them. The light also illuminated the whisker-like scars on his face in detail, but Sasuke once again refrained from asking. He didn't want to come off as nosy, not when they were just barely past their first date.

The blonde looked thoughtful. "I'm surprised we never met before. Did you go to North or South Konoha High?"

"North," Sasuke replied. "You?"

"Ah, South," Naruto replied with a rueful grin. "That's probably why. I just recently moved closer to the north side."

"You didn't miss anything," the dark haired boy remarked, smirking in amusement. "I didn't socialize very well as a teenager. You probably would've hated me then."

Naruto started laughing at the imagery. "No way. You? Even grumpier than you are now? Come on!"

"It's true, I only let people start hanging around me in senior year, and even then I still hated everyone," Sasuke replied, chuckling.

But instead of more laughter, this earned him silence in response. He carefully looked over at Naruto, finding a confused and kind of sad look on his face. "That sounds lonely," he remarked, not pitying but simply in observation. "I hated being alone when I was a kid."

"You?" Sasuke replied in confusion. "I would've thought everyone wanted to be your friend."

"Naw," the blonde scoffed, smiling. "Everyone hated me, they thought I was super annoying. I kinda was," he admitted, blushing in embarrassment but still with that grin on his face. "I was so hell bent on wanting to be friends with anyone, that _no one _wanted to hang out with me."

The dark haired boy frowned, experiencing a sensation he wasn't used to. He was feeling sad for someone. "That sounds lonely," he parroted, not in mockery but as a statement of his observation. This must have been how Naruto felt upon discovering he didn't make friends easily. He'd never thought of it from the perspective of an outside source, and now he knew what other people must have thought of him as a child. Why Itachi would give him a serious frown from time to time, or encourage him to go out.

He was broken out of his thoughts as Naruto abruptly leaned towards him, planting a quick kiss on his lips before he had time to react. Sasuke blinked in surprise as the blonde pulled back and gave him a big smile, his face positively beaming. "Well I'm not lonely anymore," he stated happily.

Sasuke was unsure of how to react or how to respond, but he found his face running away without his consent, feeling a small smile tug at his lips before he could smother it. But why would he want to? Naruto looked so damned happy that he couldn't bring himself to frown, even if he wanted to. He'd never had someone aim such an honest and direct look of happiness at him, because of something he'd done. At least not since his parents, but that was a different type of look entirely. This was new, and he liked it.

So he allowed the smile, because it made Naruto even happier. The blonde leaned in slightly and turned forward, their arms brushing as the two boys watched the sunset in a peaceful quiet.

_Well I'm not lonely anymore._

_No, neither am I._


	4. Some Perspective

Trying To Find

Chapter 4: Some Perspective

* * *

Sasuke had been seeing Naruto for about two weeks when they had an interesting conversation. It was another day where they met up after Sasuke finished with his classes for the evening, and since it was still relatively early they decided to do something out of town. Mostly it was so they could have some time to themselves without any of their friends around to really get a deeper knowing of each other. Sasuke readily admitted (to himself of course, not out loud) that he did like Naruto's friends. The blonde had met his friends again as well, outside of the bar, and they seemed to like Naruto.

But really, it was hard to consider it a date of any sort when other people were hanging around. Thus, a car trip to the next city over. There was no where it particular they wanted to go, but it was just to wander around and spend time with each other. True to his word, Naruto was 'dirt ass poor' and didn't have a car, so Sasuke drove. It was here in the car that they had this interesting conversation, which was of course started by the blonde.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said out of the blue, fiddling with the radio as he tried to find a good station. "Is this your first time dating a guy?"

"It is, actually. Why do you ask?" the Uchiha asked curiously.

"Huh. I dunno, you seem so cool about it. Usually when people find out they like the same sex, or at least act on it for the first time, they get all weird and shit. But you're just totally cool, being your first time liking a guy," the blonde explained.

"Who said I liked you?" Sasuke replied off-handedly, glancing slyly at Naruto from the corner of his eye.

Naruto laughed at the little jibe, his face lighting up. That was another thing about the blonde that he liked. Most people who weren't his friends did not particularly enjoy his sarcastic and sometimes snide humor, if it could be called humor. All the girls he'd ever dated were offended by his little remarks and teases. But Naruto just rolled with it, since they both knew that he didn't mean anything by it. He liked that. But then again he was pretty sure Itachi established that he'd been dating the wrong people thus far, female or otherwise.

"Did you want me to be 'all weird and shit?'" he asked after the blonde had stifled his giggles.

"Not really, I'm just wondering when you'll wake up and think 'what the fuck am I doing?' and dump my ass," Naruto snickered.

"Please, I know what I'm doing."

"Are you sure? It's a lot different than dating a girl. I have a ding-dong instead of a snookie."

Sasuke, doing his absolute and honest to god best, resisted the urge to burst out laughing. It was bubbling up but he pushed it down, wishing to not crash the car and kill them both because of the joke. He couldn't help the small smile that slipped out, but he managed to keep his voice steady when he replied.

"Thank you for the anatomy lesson, and here I thought I was the only guy with a ding-dong."

Holy shit, when was the last time someone had made him laugh like that? Or at least come so close? He'd tried so hard to smother it because he really didn't want to crash them, but he probably would've allowed a few snickers in any other situation. Naruto's anatomical terminology was astounding.

"Hey, I'm just offering a reality check, just in case you needed one," Naruto replied, grinning at the slip in Sasuke's mask.

"Idiot, I _don't _need a reality check. I know what boys have."

"Heeeey bastard, don't call me idiot," the blonde shot back. "I'll sock you in the face."

"Then I'll crash the car and we'll both die, so I'll call you whatever I want," Sasuke shot back smoothly, earning a huffy little growl from Naruto. "And I can think of a few things," he added vaguely.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke could see the blonde glaring suspiciously at him, as if trying to figure out a puzzle. "Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?"

"Take it however you want, it doesn't change what I'm implying."

"You," Naruto said sternly, pointing at the other boy. "Are a bastard. And I'm trying to figure out why the hell I find it so endearing. Maybe I need mental help."

"Oh, I could've told you that."

"I'm seriously considering crashing us."

There was a long pause as Sasuke replayed the conversation in his head, finally realizing what was bothering him and singling it out.

"...Isn't Snookie a reality tv star?"

Naruto looked up in surprise, blinking at the revelation. "Shit, I dunno. It just sounded like slang for vagina to me."

"You know what? It probably is. And that says a lot about her."

The blonde couldn't help but burst out laughing, earning another one of those rare little smiles from Sasuke that he tried unsuccessfully to hide.

* * *

Arriving safely without crashing the car, the two ended up passing by a movie theater and decided to catch a show. They spent about five minutes arguing over what to see, taking into account what was going to start soon and what they would have to wait for. Sasuke wanted to see something serious and Naruto wanted to see something light, but neither of them wanted to concede. Finally they ended up agreeing on a scary movie.

"Fine," Naruto finally relented. "But I'll warn you in advance, I'm a chicken shit when it comes to scary movies."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, one eyebrow raised. "It's all fake as hell, it's so obvious."

"I know it is, but it still freaks me out!" the blonde shot back. "I can't help it!"

"Whatever, just don't scream in the middle of the theater and we'll be fine," Sasuke scoffed, walking into the building after the two had bought their tickets. Naruto had looked longingly at the snack stand but didn't say anything. Sasuke noticed this, pausing at the look on the blonde's face and causing Naruto to pause as well. Finally, the Uchiha waved him over.

"That's okay, I don't want anything," the blonde said unconvincingly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and steered the other boy over to the snack stand and pulled out his wallet. "What do you want?" he asked, looking at the candy displayed in the counter and trying to guess what the blonde's taste ran towards. "Pick something, I'm paying."

"You sure?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, get a soda too," Sasuke replied.

"Okay," the blonde said happily. "I'll get some sno-caps, and maybe a Sprite."

The Uchiha ordered a couple of sodas and the sno-caps, paying for the overpriced theater snacks without batting an eye. The smile on Naruto's face was well worth the $3.50 just for the tiny box of candy, never mind the sodas. The two headed down into the hall with all the doors to the different theaters, finding theirs and heading in. The tiny little lights running along the aisle cast the barest orange glow, not doing much to illuminate their way.

Sasuke was pleased to see the theater was not too crowded, so they were able to find good seats away from most of the other movie-goers. Naruto chatted quietly to him during the commercials for various businesses and services, while Sasuke occasionally made his own input. Come time for the movie previews they stopped talking, watching in interest for anything good that might be coming up. Naruto got excited over some super hero movie, which frankly Sasuke thought looked stupid but resigned that he would probably have to see it with the blonde.

Finally the movie started and everyone hushed, watching as the opening credits rolled. It took about twenty minutes for the movie to set up the premise and plot, introducing the characters before setting them up for the weird stuff to start happening. Sasuke was only slightly bored with the film so far, but when he glanced over at the blonde he smirked. Naruto was focused intently on the screen, slowly bringing a sno-cap to his mouth and chewing it. His other hand was clutching the candy box in a death grip that belayed his anxiety.

His eyes were wide and intense in a cutely worried look, staring at the movie without blinking. Since the blonde was so oblivious to everything else Sasuke took a few extra moments to study him. It was funny how into the movie he was and it wasn't even that scary yet. When the scary parts did come, the blonde would twitch in his seat and squeak, his knuckles going white from gripping the arm rest. Finally, Sasuke sighed and moved his soda from the cup holder in between them over to the one on his left.

Naruto jumped suddenly in his seat, but not from the movie. He looked down and saw Sasuke's hand casually brushing against his own. When he found the other boy's gaze, Sasuke was looking back at him casually, the expression seeming to say 'go ahead.' Naruto felt a shy smile quirk his lips and he hesitantly moved his hand over, wrapping his fingers around Sasuke's. His smile widened when he felt his hand gripped back, helping to ground him as the movie progressed.

In fact, he started to think less about the movie and more about the warm hand in his.

About an hour and a half later the two walked out of the theater laughing, making fun of some of the corny moments of the movie. "The acting was terrible," Sasuke scoffed, hands in his pockets as he walked alongside Naruto.

"I know!" the blonde laughed. "The girl looked like she had food poisoning instead of being scared!"

"Maybe that was the best the producer could manage when they found out she had the emotional capacity of a rock," Sasuke said casually.

And there it was again, that endearing laugh that spoke of pure amusement. It made Sasuke experience one of those small pleased smiles again. He didn't care if people got his dry wit or not, but it was nice when someone refrained from calling him 'crude,' as Karin used to put it. In fact Naruto enjoyed his brand of humor, which was strange since he seemed so light hearted.

"You're doing it again."

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts, blinking as he turned to look at the other boy. "Doing what?" he asked blandly.

"Smiling," Naruto pointed out, a cute grin on his face. "I like it. I have a feeling you don't do it very often."

The dark haired boy hummed in thought as they walked through the parking lot to his car. "No, I guess not."

"Are you going to give me some tough guy line like you don't have much reason to smile?" the blonde teased, bumping his elbow against Sasuke's.

"Let me guess," Sasuke said without answering, rolling his head to look at Naruto skeptically. "You always have a reason to smile?"

"Well of course!" the blonde replied cheekily. "There's always something to be happy about!"

_His ray of sunshine will balance out with your storm cloud._

Sasuke snorted as he recalled his brother's assessment. Although he would never admit it to Itachi's stupid smug face, he seemed to be correct about Sasuke and Naruto, at least thus far. That fact was both annoying because it was his brother, and amusing because he never thought he'd mesh with such a happy person, at least more than friends. Sakura was one thing, but Naruto just kept digging in past his defenses. hence the increased amount of smiling he found himself doing lately. Helpfully pointed out by the blonde, of course.

"Um, Sasuke? You gonna unlock the car?"

The Uchiha blinked again, coming out of his train of thought to find himself standing at the car with Naruto waiting for him to do something. He cleared his throat and pulled out his keys to unlock the doors. Once they were inside and Sasuke was starting the car, Naruto gave him a sly grin from the passenger seat. "So, do you always space out like this or am I just that special? Can't get me out of your mind?"

The dark haired boy dutifully ignored this question, instead changing the topic as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Want to get some coffee?" he asked tactfully.

"I'm not _that_ easy to distract, but I'll let you off the hook and say 'yes,'" Naruto hummed pleasantly.

"Just for that, I'll treat you," Sasuke admitted with a smirk.

"Ohhhh no you don't. You bought my stupid ten dollars worth of movie snacks, I'll pick up the coffee," the blonde shot back pointedly, again moving to fiddle with the radio and wade through static.

"You know, I just noticed. Out of the two drinks you usually prepare I've seen you drink a lot of coffee but not a drop of alcohol," the other boy observed casually.

"Yeah, well, funny thing. You'd think being a bartender I would have a taste for alcohol," Naruto mused back. "I dunno, I just don't care for the buzz all that much. At most I have one drink a week, if that."

"So you're not a alcoholic, that's good to know," Sasuke remarked.

Naruto pursed his lips in a pout, his efforts wasted on the other boy. "Like you couldn't already tell! No way someone this good looking could be an alcoholic!"

"I am pretty good looking, but we're talking about you, not me."

The blonde snickered. "Good looking and full of shit."

A moment later they pulled into the drive-thru of a Starbucks, approaching the speaker in front of a menu. Sasuke ordered a plain coffee since his stomach didn't handle the syrups well, but Naruto fully intended to indulge his sweet tooth with a white mocha, probably the sweetest concoction on the menu. Sasuke smirked as they pulled up to the payment window, finally accepting the ten dollar bill Naruto had been incessantly waving in his face. He passed this to the girl in the window, got his change, and advanced.

Once they had their coffees and Sasuke had warned the blonde upon pain of death not to spill even a drop in his car, they were off.

Naruto, despite giving plenty of topics to chat about during the ride, was not even paying attention to his own conversation. He was busy trying to dissect the Uchiha next to him as he sipped his coffee. This was a first for him really. He'd met and made friends with plenty of quiet and/or antisocial people, but he'd never dated anyone like this before. Neither of them realized it but he was in much the same boat as Sasuke.

Maybe that was his problem thus far. The few people he'd dated were pretty carefree and casual. Not to mention he didn't think any of them had taken him seriously, hence why none of these relationships persisted. Maybe he just needed someone down to earth and serious like Sasuke, but he'd never imagined himself with someone to this degree of seriousness. It seemed like the closest he got to happy was a sarcastic smirk, aside from the two or three times he'd seen a real smile on the Uchiha's face.

The blonde was just wary of where this would end up. Mainly he was concerned about this being Sasuke's first relationship with a guy. It was so hard to tell in these situations, if the person was actually gay and could stick with it, or if Sasuke would freak and wake up upon the barest thought of more intimate situations. They had kissed once and held hands once, and clearly neither of them were willing to push it much further so far. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? Was Sasuke taking it slow because he wasn't interested? Or was he working through some misgivings about dating a guy?

These thoughts plagued him all the way until they arrived back into town and Sasuke had pulled into the parking lot of the blonde's apartment complex. It was dark out, the street light throwing a pale orange glow into the car and casting deep shadows on their faces. Naruto suddenly became uncertain in the quiet, wondering why Sasuke had turned off the engine and if this was going to be a talk he wouldn't like.

"Sasuke?" he asked carefully.

But the Uchiha didn't answer. Instead he wiggled one finger in a gesture to come closer. The blonde leaned forward a little just as Sasuke did the same, the dark haired boy closing the last few inches and pressing their lips together in a kiss. Naruto startled a bit at first, but he just had to let go and melt into the contact. He returned the gesture and kissed back eagerly, lifting his hand up and placing it on Sasuke's cheek. His fingers were warm from the coffee cup, leaving a tingling feeling on Sasuke's skin.

The feeling was much more intense than that first quick peck they shared while sitting in the tree. This was so much closer.

When they finally parted, Naruto found a pair of dark eyes staring back at him, dare he say it, almost warmly. He felt himself melting once more under that gaze as a smile appeared on his face. "And here I thought you were beginning to rethink things," he joked.

"Please," Sasuke said in a low, slightly husky voice. "How could I rethink you, Na-ru-to?"

He wasn't sure what exactly it was, probably the way the other boy seemed to purr like a cat, but the way Sasuke said his name caused a light blush to dust his cheeks suddenly. He couldn't help the smile from growing a little more, though. He was pleased to hear this at least, since Sasuke was friendly towards him but they hadn't ventured much into the romantic side of things yet.

Until this kiss at least.

And of course Naruto had to get ready for a shift at Six Paths. His face fell a little at the thought, but he tried to keep positive. At least he knew they had another date day coming up soon where they would have more than a few hours together. So he smiled again, letting this encourage him. "Well, I have to get ready for work. We still on for Saturday?"

"A whole day where neither of us have work or school? Of course," Sasuke replied, smirking. "I'll call you."

"Great!" the blonde replied cheerfully, leaning in and stealing a quick kiss like the one they had shared in the tree. He almost went in for seconds at the look Sasuke was giving him, but he figured it would just make it harder to leave. So he opened the car door and slipped out, leaning down to look inside and wave at the Uchiha. "Bye Sasuke! See you Saturday!"

"You certainly will, Na-ru-to," he said in that way again, that stupid sexy smirk on his face like usual.

Naruto stood upright and closed the door before his face could turn too red, letting the chilly autumn air cool his face. He stood back as the car started and pulled out of the parking lot, and as Naruto stood watching the other boy depart, he couldn't help the stupid grin on his face from growing. Only when Sasuke's car was out of sight did the blonde allow himself a little dance of victory, spinning around to trot up the steps to his apartment in a happy gait.

When he burst through the door to his apartment he heard a fierce scrabbling of claws on hardwood as something orange and furry flew out of the room at mach speed. He closed the door behind him with a guilty grin and went in search of the offended party. "Kurama," he called. "I'm sorry, come out!"

Scratch that and make it _very _offended.

The cat peeked his head around the doorframe cautiously, ears plastered back and eyes wide in a look that was a mix of annoyance and lingering fear. The cat was an orange tabby, his fur particularly dark so it almost looked red. This paired with his long fur made him look slightly similar to a fox. Naruto had been immediately drawn to the feline when he'd finally decided to get a pet. He had even been thinking about a dog, but he'd walked through the cat room at the shelter for the hell of it. Once he set sights on the tabby it had been all over.

The funny thing was the stupid cat didn't even like him at first. He was a grumpy thing prone to scratching and biting when held. But a little bribery with treats and cat food coupled with persistent attempts to get into the fuzz ball's good graces, and they had stricken up a strong bond before long. He hadn't thought about it much at first, but Naruto had eventually come to a grim conclusion. The cat had been so ornery at first that if the blonde hadn't adopted him, then probably no one else would have. And cats that don't get adopted get 'put down.'

The thought of his stupid Kurama being euthanized was not a pleasant one.

Not to say that the cat wasn't still an ornery little jerk, he just had more pleasant moods than bad these days. Less scratches made their mark on Naruto's arms, at least. As long as the blonde kept food in the bowl and litter box clean, his life was relatively safe around the cat.

But startling him as Naruto had just done was kind of pushing his luck.

"Kurama," he called again, watching the cat cautiously emerge into the room. "Come on stupid fur ball, don't be such a pussy. Oh shit," Naruto suddenly said out loud, looking at Kurama with a slightly worried expression. Something had just now dawned on him, something that could potentially be a problem.

"I wonder if Sasuke likes cats..."

* * *

After Sasuke had dropped Naruto off and arrived home at his own apartment, he started getting ready for bed. He prepared his books and binders in advance for his early morning classes the next day before heading to his bedroom. As he got changed for bed he reflected back on his date with the blonde today.

He felt like things had gone well, especially after he initiated that kiss. Naruto was an open book without having to voice every feeling and thought, and Sasuke had been picking up on his anxiety all day. He'd spent time trying to figure it out, racking his brain over what could be wrong so early on in their relationship. Naruto had kissed him a few weeks ago, so there was no misunderstanding of whether or not they were dating. He knew the blonde didn't get offended by his jokes and teasing, so that wasn't it.

Until mid-way through the movie it had struck him.

_I'm just wondering when you'll wake up and think 'what the fuck am I doing?' and dump my ass._

Sasuke had assumed it was a joke and they'd moved past the possibility that he would change his mind about dating a guy. But that was the only thing he could think of that would be bothering the blonde, and maybe it really _was _bothering him. So to test the waters, he'd covertly moved his hand over in the dark of the movie theater, his fingers brushing Naruto's. The blonde had reacted very well to the hand holding, so Sasuke decided to take it one step further and prove to him that he knew what he was doing.

His theory was only confirmed when Naruto admitted, albeit in the form of a joke, that he'd been worried. At least now they both seemed to know where the other stood.

All this thinking and he'd missed the text from the blonde he'd received twenty minutes ago. He had just gotten into bed and was checking his phone to change the alarm when he was greeted with the notification. He opened the text, wondering what Naruto had possibly forgotten to tell him.

_Do you like cats?_

Sasuke's face slowly morphed into a confused frown, eyebrows drawing together very gradually as he processed this. Was this a trick question? Was he being tested? Why cats? Wasn't the blonde getting ready for work at the bar? Utterly confused and giving up trying to solve the puzzle, he sent a reply.

_Why?_

The blonde must not have been at work yet, since he got another text about two minutes later.

_Forgot to tell you I have one...?_

Sasuke abruptly snorted and rolled his eyes, smirking in amusement. And here he'd thought they'd put the issue to rest.

_Not going to dump you, if that's what you're wondering._

This time Naruto replied back right away.

_Good to know! See you Sat!_

Sasuke sighed and shook his head again, setting the phone down on the nightstand and settling down in bed. Itachi was definitely right about one thing, he'd never dated anyone quite like Naruto before. That much was certain.

* * *

I almost didn't want to involve any pets for either of them, but I randomly wrote a scene with Naruto and cat-Kurama that I really wanted to keep, so I gave him a cat! We'll see what happens when a Grumpy Uchiha meets a Grumpy Cat in a chapter or two.


End file.
